AND one more thing about things to get straight

Dear Readers,  Some of you have written to tell me I am a crepe hanger, what with my saying the world is messed up,. How can this piece of information cheer me up, you ask? Why shouldn't this knowledge beat me down?  I could pull out my hair, or better, yours, but I won't because you are kind of making my point. Let me just say, you are looking at it the wrong way.   Instead of why isn't my life perfect, it is my life is pretty good considering.

Now THAT should help. But it probably won't.

God bless, Donna

Things to get straight 2

Dear Readers, here's another thing we need to get straight, ASAP. Believe me your life will be much simpler if you could only understand this one thing.
THE WORLD IS MESSED UP.  It is.  It's not you, it's how it is.  Once you understand that, you will realize that instead of all whine whine, why me why is my life a mess, you can get past that part and get to ok then so now what.  So many people are writing to me, Madrone, my daughter is not paying attention to what I tell her, she goes out with a no good,  my neighbor doesn't respect my grapevines, so what if they hang over his property, my cousin's sister's husband lost his job, they don't have heat, must I help them since they waste all their money on figurines from LLadro?  These are all good questions and EVERYONE has something like it to figure out. So cheer up. If your life isn't a mess in some way or another you've got two possibilities. One is you are completely oblivious, and there are people who think things are fine when the house is actually burning down around them or two, you are not actually a human being, you are from the planet DreamWorld, which is to say you are completely oblivious.
God bless, Donna

PS. I mean this to make you feel better.

Some Things to Get Straight 1

Readers, I have to get some things straight with you. I know you write me thinking you actually have a question, but the truth is NOBODY, hardly ever, writes me because they don't know what to do. Here's how it is. They write because they KNOW what to do and they aren't very happy about it for one reason or another.  That's it.  So take this for example

Dear Madrone, I lost my best friend's earring that she lent me. They were tear drops with a sapphire that went perfect with the dress I wore to my daughters wedding. But they were clip on and I lost one during the conga line.  We looked everywhere after, not a trace.   What do I do?   Sad, but  does it have to be true

Dear Sad,  You tell her and you make it good. Period.. Maybe she'll be mad, maybe she won't but that makes no difference.  Why are you even asking me this? Are you planning to lie?Fake it for insurance? (I have relatives who do that on a regular basis, but they are flat out liars and not nice people, I have to admit, even though it pains me to say so.  )  Take the heat up front. 
God bless, Donna  

See what I mean? I get this all the time. But, hey, don't let me stop you from asking, sometimes you just got to hear it from someone else.

Dear Madrone, I want to know something,  I have a friend  who always comes over empty handed. I never in a million years would do such a thing. It's like she was raised by wolves.  Do I tell her that this is wrong? Or what?
Puzzled in Pottsdam

Dear Puzzled, what's can you do? Some people weren't raised right.  That's just how it is. This I can tell you though. If you have been feeling resentment, (and I'm guessing you have because otherwise why would you be writing to me, you would be saying hey that's my friend, that's how she is, who cares) two things are going to happen. You are going to tell her or you're not. Either way you aren't going to be friends for long.  
God bless, Donna

Readers,  do yourselves a favor and NEVER go visit puppies unless you are going to dedicate yourself to a life of getting up early and picking up poop. Don't come crying to me! That's just how it is. Don't say I didn't warn you.  Because once you go, that's it, boom you're done, that's it. Why not get two while you're at it?

Dear Madrone, What do I do about this?-  You know how the young people use the text and the twitter and the what not. right?  Well, take a look a this- My daughter in law asking me about what I gave the the kid for supper.

She wasn't happy. Should I have lied?

Sheepish in Sheepshead.

Dear Sheepish,  You did the right thing. Take the heat up front, besides you know the kid would rat you out, nothing personal, that's just what kids do.  And I know it's a bitter pill you're the grandma, whatever. But to keep peace in the family you need to bite your tongue and feed the kid what the mother thinks he should eat.  

God bless, Donna.

PS.  Awesome dinner though.